Golf stance ruler

ABSTRACT

A PORTABLE RULER FOR GOLFERS INCLUDES AN ELONGATED FIRST MEMBER INCLUDING TWO SLOTS AND TWO BARS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE SLOTS. THE FIRST MEMBER INCLUDES TWO SERIES OF NUMBERED GRADUATIONS DESIGNATING THE DIFFERENT WIDTHS OF GOLFERS&#39;&#39; SHOULDERS. EACH SLIDEABLE BAR INCLUDES A SERIES OF GRADUATIONS AND NUMBERS CORRESPONDING TO THOSE CONVENTIONALLY USED TO IDENTIFY GOLF CLUBS. WHEN AN END OF EACH BAR IS PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH A PARTICULAR SHOULDER WIDTH INDICATING GRADUATION, TO ACCOMMODATE A PARTICULAR GOLFER, THE NUMBERS ON THE RESPECTIVE BARS POINT TO THE PROPER PLACEMENT POSITIONS OF ONE OF THE GOLFERHS FEET AND THE GOLF BALL FOR THE VARIOUS CLUBS. A FIXED MARK ON THE FIRST MEMBER INDICATES THE PROPER POSITION OF THE GOLFER&#39;&#39;S OTHER FOOT.

96% 1971 L. LAFONTAINE GULF STANCE RULER Filed Sept. 12, 1969 lllll'lllllll a .5-5-5. 6

Patented Oct. 26, 1971 3,615,095 GOLF STANCE RULER Lucien Lafontaine, 637 Place Fleury, Montreal 357, Quebec, Canada Filed Sept. 12, 1969, Ser. N 0. 857,469 Int. Cl. A63b 69/36 US. Cl. 273-187 R 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable ruler for golfers includes an elongated first member including two slots and two bars slidably mounted in the slots. The first member includes two series of numbered graduations designating the different widths of golfers shoulders. Each slideable bar includes a series of graduations and numbers corresponding to those conventionally used to identify gold clubs. When an end of each bar is properly aligned with a particular shoulder Width indicating graduation, to accommodate a particular golfer, the numbers on the respective bars point to the proper placement positions of one of the golfers feet and the golf ball for the various clubs. A fixed mark on the first member indicates the proper position of the golfers other foot.

This invention relates to a portable ruler that will indicate to a golfer the proper stance and the proper location of the ball according to the club to be used.

In golf one common fault is to take too wide a stance. When that happens the swing loses its rhythm since a full pivot is impossible. The feet should take about the width of the shoulders for a full shot (driver) gradually narrowing the width as the range required shortens and should be parallel to the line of flight. The position of the ball in relation to the left heel for a right handed golfer (the right heel for a left handed one) is also of great importance. If the ball is addressed too far forward the left foot carries too much weight and the shot is topped. Addressing the ball too far back is just as bad as the hands will be in front of the clubhead and the result a slice. Unfortunately the average player very often violates those fundamental rules.

I have found that these common faults may be overcome by the use of a portable ruler. The said ruler is placed on the ground, a few inches to the left of the ball, pointing towards the target and according to the width of the shoulders of the golfer indicates the position of the feet for each club and the position of the ball for each one of the said clubs. By having the proper stance when using a specific club, the ball being in the most favorable position for the said club, and the feet being parallel to the line of flight, the golfer is given the possibility to avoid a few of the common faults and is provided with an instrument that will gradually improve his game.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a ruler with fixed indications for the position of the feet and the ball for the most used clubs according to one specific stance.

FIG. 2 is a ruler with independent adjustable indications for the left foot and for the ball for the most used clubs covering all normal stances.

The exact dimension of the ruler is immaterial and the drawings, for better clarity, are not as per scale. The letters D stand for driver, 3W for wood number 3, and 3, 5, 7, 9 stand for corresponding irons, those being the most used clubs in general.

The rulers are divided in two parts, the right one indicating the position of the ball for each most used clubs,

and the left one indicating the position of the left foot for the said clubs while the right foot stays at the same position as shown on the rulers.

It is obvious that the same rulers could apply to left handed golfers by appropriate indications, and that other clubs 2, 4, 6, 8, are within the indications of the odd numbers.

While the ruler in FIG. 1 is for a specific stance of 18 inches as shown, and naturally other stances will require other graduations, ruler in FIG. 2 covers all the regular stances.

On FIG. 2 two independent rulers, 1 indicating the position of the left foot, 2 indicating the position of the ball, slide in individual slots 3 and 4. The position of those sliding rulers being governed by the width of the golfers shoulders represented by corresponding numbers on the ruler itself.

As the shafts length of each club decreases from the driver to the 9 iron, in order to keep the proper stance for each club, the position of the left foot advances gradually towards the right foot, the position of the left foot, for each most used clubs, being shown by an arrow or a line with corresponding number on ruler 1.

In wood shots the ball should be addressed at a point opposite the left heel and for irons a few inches farther back, gradually towards the right heel for the shortest lIOl'lS.

The ruler 2 indicates the position of the ball for each most popular club. When the ruler is placed on the ground in the direction of the target, a few inches at the left of the ball, the arrow of the club to be used is directed at the ball. The corresponding number on the ruler 1, indicating the position of the left foot for that said club, and the arrow showing the position of the right foot on the ruler itself will then give the golfer the proper stance for that specific club, the ball being in the most favorable position for the shot intended.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A ball and feet positioning device for golfers comprising,

(a) a fiat elongated body member having front and rear faces;

(b) a first and second series of longitudinally spaced graduation marks fixed on said member, said first and second series being longitudinally spaced from one another, said graduation marks of each of said series being identified by a range of numbers indicating different widths of golfers shoulders;

(c) a pair of longitudinally extending bars mounted on said front face and being longitudinally adjustable thereon; each of said bars carrying a series of longitudinally spaced graduations identified by different numbers, which numbers are the same as the conventional identification numbers provided on different golf clubs; the graduations on one of said bars being so spaced as to indicate the proper placement of a golf ball and the graduations of the other of said bars being so spaced as to indicate the proper placement of one of the golfers feet; and

(d) a pointer fixed on said front face for indicating the placement of the golfers other foot; each of said bars being slidably movable on said member relative to an associated one of said series of graduation marks indicating different widths of golfers shoulders whereby, when one of said bars is properly aligned with a particular shoulder width indicating mark in said first series, and the other of said bars is aligned with the same shoulder width indicating mark in said second series, the numbered graduations on the ball 4 position indicating bar indicate the proper positions References Cited of the ball for' each club and the numbered grad- UNITED STATES PATENTS nations on the foot positioning bar indicate the proper positions of one foot for each club. 2,025,519 12/1935 Lingg 273-187 RX 2. A device as defined inclaim 1 wherein a pair of 5 2 1 9 13 2 1940 Paulsen 273 7 R slots extend longitudinally in said member for the sliding 2,886,326 5/1959 Olds R movement of the bars therein.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein the top edge GEORGE J M ARLO, Primary Examiner of each bar serves to indicate the Width of a golfers shoulders on the associated series of graduation marks. 10 

